Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board Meeting Summary - October 27, 2026

This summary covers the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board meeting on 2026-10-27. The supplied transcript opens with the chair calling the meeting to order on 'Monday, October 26th, 2026,' so the transcript date does not match the supplied date; no agenda or minutes were available. The board approved routine items, heard extensive public comment, overturned a curb-cut approval, and recommended parking, taxicab, and car-share changes.

Consent Calendar

• Board approved prior meeting minutes by voice vote.
• Consent item: residential parking permit restriction addition on the 1000 block of Princess Street. The board approved it by voice vote with no opposition.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Casey Kane, former board member, spoke during the non-docket public comment period. He requested written and oral updates on East Abingdon Drive bike lanes, South Pickett Street corridor improvements, Jameson Avenue pedestrian safety improvements, and Jordan Street safety improvements, and asked staff to restore time stamps to meeting minutes. Staff later provided updates: East Abingdon is pending National Park Service coordination and may be installed winter 2026-27 as part of the Mount Vernon Trail detour; South Pickett was moved to spring because of contractor scheduling and cold-weather risk; Jameson Avenue is expected this fall; Jordan Street was postponed to spring.
• On no-turn-on-red items, Casey Kane supported the city's work, suggested standardizing sign appearance and placement, removing obstructions, and pairing signs with education and enforcement. An online speaker supported no-turn-on-red restrictions and leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs). Christopher Wilk spoke in support of the Old Town no-turn-on-red proposal, citing foot traffic on King Street and predictability for visitors. Two online speakers also supported the Old Town restriction.
• On the 4118 Clifford Avenue curb-cut appeal, Duncan Blair, attorney for the property owner, argued that the board should use the clear-error standard and uphold the director's decision. Neighbors Ashley Preston and Sarah Friedman opposed the curb cut, citing loss of on-street parking, sidewalk overhang, drainage and tree-root concerns, a manhole, and safety for children and people with limited mobility; Preston noted the development plans were modified and were 100% complete as of October 13.
• On Old Town parking changes, Molly Conway, former parent at Washington Street Preschool, supported modifying the 112 South Columbus Street loading zone to school hours. Jody Maynard, owner of a building at the corner of King and North Alfred, supported adding parking where a loading zone had been and opposed moving a loading zone back to North Alfred, citing early-morning delivery problems and noise.
• On the taxicab biennial review, several City Cab representatives and drivers - Jamal Said, Daniel Hadgu, Serifella Pakelli, Abdullah Yusuf, and Ingrid Rivera - supported recommending 80 additional City Cab certificates. They described the driver-owned cooperative model, a waiting list of drivers, the need for marketing and dispatch investment, accessible service goals, and concern about airport rule changes that put taxis at a competitive disadvantage.
• During written updates, Casey Kane raised safety concerns about the Wilkes Street and Patrick Street detour for the Heritage project: trip hazards, moved or missing barriers, incomplete signage, and sidewalk closures that he said conflict with city guidelines. He asked staff to share his photo documentation and to answer who approved the closures.

Discussion Items

No-turn-on-red restrictions - docket items 4 and 5

• For item 4, staff recommended no-turn-on-red restrictions at all approaches at the locations transcribed as Mount Vernon Avenue, Fleet Road, Quaker Lane, Janney's Lane, and Seminary Road. Casey Kane spoke in support; staff said national standards call for a post-mounted sign plus a signal-mounted sign and that the city prefers the red-ball sign, though signal weight and wind-load constraints can limit placement. Staff estimated only about 50-60% of existing signs have both locations. The board adopted the recommendation unanimously.
• For item 5, staff proposed no-turn-on-red restrictions at all signalized intersections in Old Town bounded by First Street to the north, the city boundary to the south, Telegraph Road and the railroad tracks to the west, and the Potomac River to the east, paired with LPIs. Staff reported 121 pedestrian crashes in Old Town during the study period, 73 at signalized intersections; of those, 41 (56%) involved left turns on green, 9 (12%) right turns on red, 10 (14%) other incidents, 8 (11%) unknown, and 5 (7%) crossing against the signal. Board member Rosemary asked whether targeting high-crash corridors would be better; staff responded that a Safe System approach is proactive and holistic, that severe crashes are rising, and that a piecemeal approach has left gaps. The recommendation passed 5-1, with Rosemary opposed.

Curb-cut appeal - 4118 Clifford Avenue

• The board first voted to rescind its prior denial so it could apply the clear-error standard. Staff noted this was the first time in recent years the board had overturned a director-approved curb cut and that code criteria are being updated. Public speakers argued both sides. After discussion, a motion to uphold the director's approval of the curb cut failed, 2-4. A subsequent motion to overturn the director's approval passed, effectively denying the curb cut. Board members who supported overturning cited inconsistency with a prior curb-cut decision, loss of street parking, sidewalk-overhang risk, and safety concerns.

Old Town parking changes

• Staff presented a package to remove or modify underutilized loading zones, motor-coach loading zones, a taxi stand, a disability space, and a 20-minute parking zone, and to add parking in several locations, including North and South Washington Street, King Street, North Columbus Street, and North Alfred Street. The package also included modifying loading-zone hours at 112 South Columbus Street to 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekdays, reducing paid meter hours on the 200 and 300 blocks of North Washington Street to end at 5 p.m., metering the west side of the 100 block of South Patrick Street, and placing a 60-foot loading zone on North Alfred near King.
• The board adopted an amendment removing a proposed one-space parking addition at the 100 block of North Columbus Street near King Street, leaving the scooter corral in place. The final motion, equal to the staff recommendation minus that item, passed unanimously.

Taxicab biennial review

• Board member Mark recused himself from this item because a family member is employed by Uber; he said the city attorney found no conflict, but he recused to avoid any appearance of one. Staff summarized the biennial review, current fares, vehicle age limits, and the recent history of City Cab. City Cab previously requested 180 certificates, the board recommended 180 in September 2025, and the city manager granted 80 in December 2025; City Cab began operations in February 2026 and requested an additional 80 certificates in August 2026. Staff recommended accepting the review and maintaining current regulations. The board instead moved to accept the review with the exception of recommending that the city authorize 80 additional City Cab certificates. The motion passed with Mark recused.

Car share policy update

• Staff asked the board to recommend that city council repeal the 2013 on-street car share resolution (Resolution 2540) and amend city code to create a permanent car share program, including both stationary on-street car-share spaces and free-floating citywide car share. Staff explained that the current program is limited to Old Town and Carlyle, only one on-street car-share space exists, and the change would future-proof the city and respond to resident demand. The board unanimously recommended the repeal and code amendment.

Written updates, Vision Zero, and budget priorities

• Alex Carroll presented a Vision Zero update. From 2020 to 2025, there were 145 fatal or severe crashes; fatal crashes trended slightly downward (2023 had zero fatal crashes), while severe crashes and their share of total crashes trended upward. Pedestrian crashes were the largest share, followed by angle crashes, with over one-third of fatal/severe crashes involving pedestrians. The city's High Injury Network guides prioritization. 2026 accomplishments included two speed-limit reductions, six school-zone speed cameras, more than 50 crossing improvements, two miles of new bike lanes, about a dozen LPIs and no-turn-on-red restrictions, more than 30 traffic calming treatments, and three new grants. Upcoming work includes South Pickett Street, Sanger Avenue, West End high-crash intersection audits (public comment open through November 6), Seminary West safety improvements, and Jordan Street. Staff also noted the city will update its Vision Zero Action Plan. Crash data come from VDOT reportable crashes, so the data are likely an undercount.
• The board discussed draft budget priorities. It directed staff to revise the priorities by elevating DASH/transit funding and combined sidewalk/pedestrian/disabled-access projects, adding full funding for the Neighborhood Transportation Improvement Program, and changing school-trip language to walking/biking/micro-mobility. Staff said comments were due shortly after the meeting.
• In commissioner updates, Kirsten reported that the Transportation Commission had completed work on budget and legislative priorities and provided input on the Duke Street land use plan, which is scheduled for city council action in December.

Key Outcomes

• Approved prior meeting minutes.
• Approved the residential parking permit restriction addition for the 1000 block of Princess Street.
• Recommended no-turn-on-red restrictions for the item 4 locations unanimously.
• Recommended Old Town-wide no-turn-on-red restrictions, 5-1.
• Rescinded the prior curb-cut denial at 4118 Clifford Avenue, failed to uphold the director's approval 2-4, then voted to overturn the director's approval.
• Recommended the Old Town parking package, as amended, unanimously.
• Accepted the taxicab biennial review with a recommendation to authorize 80 additional City Cab certificates; Mark recused.
• Recommended repeal of Resolution 2540 and adoption of a new car share program chapter unanimously.
• Directed staff to revise budget priorities along the lines described above.
• Next meeting scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026.